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Thursday, 19 March 2009

Varun Gandhi's speeches in Pilibhit are ample proof of the downfall of the standard of politicians and politics in this country.

His words were not just inflammatory. The speeches were fascistic and hit at the core of our values. Ironically, the man is a great grandson of none other than Jawaharlal Nehru.

His grandfather Feroze Gandhi was a leading Parliamentarian who stood for harmony and had the courage to expose corruption cases that embarrassed his own Congress government soon after independence.

But the son of late Sanjay Gandhi and Maneka, has sought to communalise and divide the society. The speeches were even more provocative than the ones we heard during the Ram Janmabhumi movement that led to the demolition of Babri mosque.

Varun not just sought to cut the heads of Muslims but also wanted them transported elsewhere. He tried to ridicule Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and incited the masses in the name of Hindutva.

He must be made to pay for his hate-filled speeches. This should deter other leaders from using religion to divide the society in future. We have had enough of rabble-rousers in the past.

Though this young politicians apparently aims to outdo all of them. Varun claims that he is a defender of Hindutva and calls himself a proud Indian. Unfortunately he has failed to become even a Human.

Monday, 2 March 2009

The dates for the Lok Sabha elections have been announced. Political pundits give Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) the edge.

Though it is risky to make any prediction but Arun Nehru, former Congress Union minister who later joined BJP, has predicted that the Congress would increase its tally and get more seats than the BJP.

He also forecasts a Congress-led government in May 2009 rather than National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coming to the power at the Centre. Though Nehru is no qualified psephologist, he has been making such predictions for well over a decade.

He says that ongress will get 149 seats while the BJP will muster 135 seats. So will LK Advani's dream of becoming India's Prime Minister remain unfulfilled? Even CNN-IBN pre-elections poll had predicted that despite the terrorist strikes in the country and Mumbai terror attack (26/11), BJP is not looking like winning.

Nehru is considerd to be a BJP sympathiser but he appears convinced that the party is not going to perform better than the 2004 elections when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the party mascot and led the election campaign.

Though Nehru predicts a fall in the tally of Left parties including the CPI, CPM and other minor outfits, it appears that aided by the third front and regional parties like RJD, Congress may yet again pull off a victory.

A few factors that will be crucial in the formation of the next government:

1. Jayalalitha is on nobody's side but can join any coalition. Right now she is flirting with HD Devegodwa's third front. IT may still go to BJP. It seems Karunanidhi's DMK may not fare too well and Jaya will emerge stronger.

2. Telugu Desam Party isn't keen to go with BJP after the polls as if feels it cost the party, minority vote. Will it change mind and go to BJP?

3. Mayawati's BSP can go either way. It remains unpredictable. SP may not be a big player again but it will also have numbers.

Though Left is not going to support the Congress, there is no question of the Communists allowing the 'communal and fascist' BJP to form the government. This gives Congress, an advantage. But will it brave anti-incumbency and hand over power back to Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh?